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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rule — government
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — a law
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. clip — a video
  15. rash — hasty
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rash — a series
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a dance
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — of the sea

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