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 116 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. branch — a division
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. shower — rain
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spell — letters
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. file — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a document
  19. spell — a short time
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. file — a line of people
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wave — with your hand

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