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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hand — in cards
  6. land — a country
  7. hand — help
  8. wind — moving air
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wound — an injury
  17. land — ground
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. branch — a division
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. hide — animal skin

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