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: spell · fine · hand · stock · race · rush · branch · board

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. race — a contest
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. race — humankind
  8. branch — a division
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — help
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — magic
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stock — shares
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — a committee

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