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: key · fall · snap · race · rest · bat · wave · branch

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fall — the season
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — a division
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fall — to drop
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — the animal
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — in music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rest — a break

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