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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — a path
  5. sharp — clever
  6. shower — rain
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. present — there
  10. track — a song
  11. present — the time now
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — to confront
  20. shower — to wash
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. track — to keep track
  23. present — a gift
  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