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: wave · branch · mug · lash · drill · wound · spring · file

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — a face
  7. branch — a division
  8. spring — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — a cup
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mug — to rob
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. file — a tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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