ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · march · can · staff · scale · stem · cold · pit

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The water is too ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. branch — a division
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. march — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cold — an illness
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pit — in a race
  15. march — the month
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com