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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fine — all right
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — a practice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hand — help
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — a break
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — in cards
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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