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: row · mine · cold · branch · charge · season · race · bay

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. cold — not warm
  2. branch — a division
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. season — of the year
  9. charge — a price
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — in control
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. season — in sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mine — for digging
  20. race — a contest
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. row — a line
  23. row — a quarrel
  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