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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. land — to come down
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — of water
  16. land — a country
  17. branch — a division
  18. lean — thin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spell — magic
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. spell — letters
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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