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: chip · stock · cabinet · last · branch · roll · clip · ground

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. last — finally
  3. roll — a list
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stock — goods
  14. clip — a video
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. last — to go on
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stock — shares
  22. last — final
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ground — a position

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