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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — of the year
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. season — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — a video
  18. mate — a partner
  19. clip — for paper
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cabinet — ministers

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