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: nail · rush · hide · stick · temple · branch · row · chest

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chest — a box
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — of your body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. row — to paddle
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — side of the head

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