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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — a face
  6. land — ground
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. hand — help
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. land — a country

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