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: kid · ground · fine · deal · pop · branch · firm · straw

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — a division
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — all right
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. firm — a company
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — a position
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — crushed
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ground — the earth
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. firm — decided

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