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: mate · craft · capital · saw · snap · mine · bound · branch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. branch — a division
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — a friend
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. craft — boats
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — a partner
  18. capital — a city
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. capital — money
  23. mine — for digging
  24. snap — to click

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