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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — to drill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — a song
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. row — a line
  8. track — a path
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bore — to tire
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — a break
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to click
  22. deal — to handle
  23. row — to paddle
  24. jam — a tight spot

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