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 120 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: branch · shower · chest · stick · cap · craft · race · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. race — humankind
  5. chest — of your body
  6. branch — a division
  7. chest — a box
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a hat
  15. craft — boats
  16. shower — rain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — a contest
  19. cap — of ice
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. shower — to wash
  24. craft — a handicraft

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