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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. file — a document
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — to paddle
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mug — to rob
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a line of people
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — a line
  17. file — a tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mug — a cup
  23. prune — the fruit
  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