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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wind — moving air
  5. object — a thing
  6. key — for a lock
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — rain
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. charge — a price
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — in control
  18. shower — to wash
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. key — in music
  21. object — an aim
  22. cold — not warm
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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