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 120 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: cell · mate · bowl · bank · mine · swing · last · branch

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. last — final
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bank — for money
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. swing — music
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cell — in biology
  24. branch — a division

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