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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a music group
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — to visit
  11. face — to point toward
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. band — a ring
  15. object — an aim
  16. pop — soda
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pop — music
  24. branch — a division

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