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: hide · arm · branch · mate · spell · date · land · pound

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — to come down
  9. mate — a friend
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — to breed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — letters
  14. land — a country
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. branch — a division
  20. pound — a weight
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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