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: hide · branch · charge · nail · key · snap · straw · bear

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to click
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. charge — a price
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. straw — a straw man

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