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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. club — a group
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. club — for golf
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rest — a break
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — a practice
  24. branch — a division

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