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: club · spring · stock · perch · branch · hand · roll · cue

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cue — for pool
  4. club — a group
  5. perch — the fish
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stock — goods
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. club — for golf
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — a signal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. branch — a division
  24. stock — shares

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