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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — a division
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — a video
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. chest — a box
  13. clip — for paper
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. drill — the tool
  19. clip — to cut
  20. chest — of your body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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