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: game · chip · branch · rash · bat · rock · bark · lash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. chip — for betting
  6. game — a match
  7. rash — a series
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rock — music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rock — to move gently

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