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: stock · branch · tear · rule · squash · mark · pass · capital

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rule — a law
  4. stock — shares
  5. rule — government
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. capital — a city
  15. stock — goods
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mark — a trace
  23. capital — money
  24. mark — a grade

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