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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. key — in music
  4. clip — to cut
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. race — the arms race
  8. clip — a video
  9. saw — the tool
  10. clip — for paper
  11. chest — of your body
  12. branch — a division
  13. chest — a box
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. key — the most important part
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hand — help
  20. race — a contest
  21. key — for a lock
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — in cards

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