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: bulb · branch · sharp · capital · staff · kid · fall · file

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — child
  7. staff — employees
  8. fall — the season
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. file — a document
  11. fall — to drop
  12. capital — money
  13. branch — a division
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — a stick
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kid — to tease
  23. capital — a city
  24. staff — employees

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