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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. club — for golf
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. last — to go on
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. branch — a division
  14. pound — a weight
  15. last — final
  16. rest — a break
  17. last — finally
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chest — a box
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. branch — of a tree

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