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 116 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: cue · saw · stick · face · branch · hand · shower · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cue — for pool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to point toward
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. branch — a division

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