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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lie — to recline
  23. perch — the fish
  24. charge — in control

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