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: charge · branch · craft · drill · clip · pass · mine · content

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. content — happy
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. charge — in control
  11. craft — boats
  12. charge — a price
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. clip — a video
  16. drill — army training
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mine — for digging
  23. charge — electricity
  24. mine — belonging to me

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