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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rash — hasty
  11. march — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — a trail
  20. march — the month
  21. rash — a series
  22. chip — to eat
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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