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 116 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: file · straw · shower · branch · leaves · bulb · clip · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. clip — to cut
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. file — a tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. clip — for paper
  15. file — a document
  16. clip — a video
  17. shower — rain
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. shower — to wash

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