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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — a division
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. charge — electricity
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — for golf
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bound — tied together
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. club — a group
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. charge — in control
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bound — obliged
  23. charge — a price
  24. dip — a sauce

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