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 120 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: rule · tear · lash · vault · branch · perch · chest · deal

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tear — from crying
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. branch — a division
  14. rule — a law
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. deal — to handle
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chest — a box
  24. tear — to rip

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