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 124 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — a division
  3. current — happening now
  4. ground — crushed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a path
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. current — of water
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ground — a position
  14. chest — a box
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — electric
  22. ground — the earth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. track — a song

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