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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pop — soda
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. date — the fruit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. shower — rain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kick — in football
  23. rest — a break
  24. patient — a sick person

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