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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pop — music
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pop — to visit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — to wash
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. shower — rain
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. branch — a division
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chest — of your body
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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