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 124 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: stock · deal · jam · branch · content · shower · ruler · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — a division
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hand — help
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. deal — to handle
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stock — goods
  13. content — the amount
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — happy
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — rain
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. deal — a big deal

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