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: pound · snap · branch · rock · chest · file · wake · land

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. land — a country
  6. rock — a stone
  7. file — a tool
  8. land — to come down
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rock — music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. branch — a division
  13. file — a document
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chest — a box
  17. land — ground
  18. snap — to click
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. chest — of your body
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pound — to hit hard

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