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 · straw · cap · scale · bark · lean · mug · can

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. can — to be able to
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — thin
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mug — a cup
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mug — to rob
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mug — a face
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cap — a lid
  24. straw — a straw man

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