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 120 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: board · club · present · bat · can · dip · branch · stick

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. club — a group
  4. branch — a division
  5. board — a committee
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. present — there
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. club — for dancing
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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