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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — rain
  8. snap — to click
  9. branch — a division
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. land — to come down
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — a country
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. land — ground
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. date — the fruit

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