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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. file — a document
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. swing — in golf
  12. last — finally
  13. drill — the tool
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. last — final
  24. swing — music

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