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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. branch — a division
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chest — of your body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. clip — a video
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chest — a box
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bank — for money
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pound — a weight

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