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: firm · scale · chest · cabinet · branch · content · chair · rash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chest — a box
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. content — the amount
  8. firm — decided
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rash — hasty
  14. content — happy
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. scale — in music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. firm — a company
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. firm — steady
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rash — a series

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