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 116 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 · mug · dip · tear · lash · firm · wound · band

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. firm — steady
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. firm — decided
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — an injury
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. branch — a division
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. band — a music group
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wound — an injury
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mug — a cup
  24. tear — from crying

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