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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a dance
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. tear — from crying

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