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: row · hide · rest · snap · branch · capital · mark · bay

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. capital — money
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. snap — to click
  8. rest — a break
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a city
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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