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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ground — a position
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. branch — a division
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — crushed
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rest — a break
  22. ground — the earth
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. date — the fruit

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