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: last · branch · club · firm · hand · scale · wind · rush

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. firm — steady
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. firm — decided
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rush — hurry
  17. last — final
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — a company
  21. hand — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. club — for golf
  24. hand — help

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