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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — a video
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hand — help
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. pound — a weight
  21. club — a group
  22. clip — to cut
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pound — for dogs

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