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: toast · clip · land · mate · scale · club · branch · spell

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. club — for dancing
  5. spell — a short time
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. toast — bread
  12. club — a group
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. mate — a friend
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spell — magic
  19. land — to come down
  20. club — for golf
  21. branch — a division
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spell — letters
  24. toast — the most admired

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