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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — in sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. track — to keep track

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