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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — a division
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — a box
  8. spell — letters
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. spell — magic
  15. shower — rain
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pass — a permit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — a short time
  24. ruler — a monarch

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