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: branch · current · stick · rash · suit · leaves · ground · clip

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — a division
  5. clip — a video
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. clip — for paper
  11. current — of water
  12. suit — in cards
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — to fit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — electric
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. clip — to cut
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ground — the earth

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