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

Word bank: branch · arm · chair · row · lash · lean · scale · land

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. row — a line
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. land — to come down
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — ground
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. land — a country
  16. lean — to bend
  17. scale — size or range
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — to paddle
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. branch — a division
  24. scale — in music

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