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: rock · pitcher · march · firm · fork · land · can · branch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. firm — steady
  4. land — ground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. march — music
  12. rock — music
  13. land — a country
  14. march — the month
  15. land — to come down
  16. march — the month
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. firm — a company
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. firm — decided
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. branch — of a bank

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