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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. clip — a video
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. land — ground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — in a road
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. present — the time now
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — to come down
  20. hand — help
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. land — a country
  23. present — there
  24. clip — for paper

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