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: cabinet · stock · branch · row · degree · shower · bowl · racket

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stock — goods
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. branch — a division
  20. shower — rain
  21. stock — shares
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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