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: staff · lie · rock · branch · file · perch · snap · arm

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to click
  5. rock — music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. lie — to recline
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rock — a stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. staff — a stick
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. staff — employees
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. file — a document
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

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