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: rush · game · cap · swing · fork · stick · branch · stock

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stock — goods
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stock — shares
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — a division
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. swing — to play on
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. swing — music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. swing — in golf

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