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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · mate · branch · pop · lie · hand

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mate — to breed
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mate — a friend
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lie — an untruth

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