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: arm · charge · mug · branch · saw · kid · perch · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. kid — child
  3. charge — a price
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mug — to rob
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mug — a cup
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. charge — in control
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. hand — in cards
  24. perch — the fish

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