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: pitcher · club · patient · rush · mine · drill · branch · staff

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. club — a group
  16. staff — a stick
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. drill — army training
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. drill — a practice
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — 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