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: bore · bat · toast · wound · date · vault · branch · nail

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. toast — bread
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bat — the animal
  19. branch — a division
  20. bore — to tire
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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