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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — obliged
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kick — in football
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — rain
  13. branch — a division
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — certain
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hide — animal skin

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