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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mate — a partner
  4. drill — the tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — decided
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. drill — army training
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. kick — in football
  24. wound — an injury

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