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: staff · cell · drill · branch · scale · coach · bank · club

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cell — in biology
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for golf
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — employees
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — in music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. drill — a practice
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. club — a group

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