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: mark · lash · branch · clip · arm · bore · chest · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. clip — a video
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bore — to drill
  12. branch — a division
  13. mark — a trace
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chest — a box
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. clip — for paper
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. clip — to cut
  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