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

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. drill — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kid — to tease
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. kid — child
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. drill — army training
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chip — for betting
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rule — a law
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rule — government

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