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: capital · cabinet · land · sharp · bank · shower · branch · mark

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. branch — a division
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — to come down
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. capital — money
  12. shower — to wash
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — a country
  16. capital — a city
  17. land — ground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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