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: cue · straw · staff · craft · field · saw · fall · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. field — farmland
  5. cue — a hint
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. craft — boats
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. field — a subject
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — for sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — a stick
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a skill
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — for pool
  24. saw — the tool

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