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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bound — tied together
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hand — help
  8. kick — in football
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. branch — a division
  17. rush — hurry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bound — certain
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — low music

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