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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. branch — a division
  3. content — the amount
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. content — happy
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. file — a document
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — a friend
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — a gift
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — there
  23. file — a tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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