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 · safe · cell · bound · can · club · stick · snap

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — a phone
  7. branch — a division
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bound — obliged
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. club — a group
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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