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: spring · staff · bound · bank · fine · object · branch · stand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. spring — of water
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spring — the season
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bound — obliged
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — an aim
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — to protest
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. staff — a stick
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. spring — a coil
  21. branch — a division
  22. bound — certain
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — employees

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