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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. clip — for paper
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. clip — a video
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rush — hurry
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. drill — army training
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. branch — a division
  21. face — part of the head
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. drill — a practice

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