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 120 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: chest · branch · land · fork · scale · rest · press · firm

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. firm — decided
  6. land — to come down
  7. rest — a break
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — in a road
  11. press — to push
  12. scale — in music
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. rest — what's left
  21. branch — a division
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. branch — of a bank

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