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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — to point toward
  4. race — humankind
  5. club — a group
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — a division
  8. race — the arms race
  9. charge — a price
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — in cards
  12. charge — in control
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. club — for golf
  15. hand — help
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — part of the head
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. march — music
  20. face — to confront
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. march — the month
  24. club — for dancing

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