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: mine · current · spell · bank · capital · kick · board · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bank — of a river
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — electric
  9. board — to get on
  10. current — of water
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. capital — a city
  13. spell — letters
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bank — for money
  16. spell — magic
  17. capital — money
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. spell — a short time
  21. board — a committee
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — happening now

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