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: pitcher · board · ruler · branch · bound · sharp · cold · bear

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bound — obliged
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bound — certain
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. board — to get on
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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