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: squash · present · branch · rock · cap · cabinet · lean · race

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. branch — a division
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — there
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. present — the time now
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. race — humankind
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cabinet — ministers

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