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 120 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: wound · lean · tube · branch · sharp · mark · plane · drill

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — army training
  6. wound — an injury
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — a container
  24. lean — to bend

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