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 · key · wave · pit · rule · wake · chest · ground

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. key — in music
  6. ground — a position
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. ground — crushed
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. chest — a box
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wake — a trail
  24. chest — of your body

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