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: stock · file · last · pound · craft · fork · branch · safe

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. file — a document
  3. last — final
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. file — a tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stock — goods

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