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: game · branch · jam · present · cold · dip · current · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. present — the time now
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. current — of water
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cold — not warm
  16. dip — to sink
  17. current — electric
  18. cold — an illness
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — a division

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