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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spell — magic
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — steady
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. row — to paddle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — letters
  21. firm — decided
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. row — a line
  24. deal — to handle

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