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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitch — completely
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. drill — army training
  11. mine — for digging
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. firm — decided
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. branch — a division

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