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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ball — a great time
  22. clip — a video
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ball — a round shape

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