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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mug — to rob
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — of a word
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — certain
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — child
  14. root — the cause
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mug — a cup
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. root — of a plant
  24. track — a path

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