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 · craft · patient · nail · spell · vault · ball · file

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spell — letters
  5. vault — a safe
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spell — a short time
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. ball — a dance
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a document
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — for a hammer

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