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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. branch — a division
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cell — in biology
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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