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: club · bound · lean · land · branch · nail · shower · sharp

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. sharp — clever
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lean — to bend
  19. land — to come down
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bound — certain
  22. lean — thin
  23. nail — on a finger
  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