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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — a division
  3. swing — in golf
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to drill
  6. snap — to click
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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