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: cabinet · wound · club · trunk · branch · sharp · shower · charge

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — clever
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. club — for golf
  5. charge — in control
  6. shower — rain
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — electricity
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — a division
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. charge — a price
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. club — a group

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