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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — a division
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pop — soda
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pop — music
  14. present — a gift
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — there
  19. hand — in cards
  20. present — the time now
  21. hand — help
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hand — part of the body

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