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 · chest · wave · kick · rash · mark · object · present

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. present — the time now
  3. chest — of your body
  4. kick — in football
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — a series
  7. chest — a box
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rash — hasty
  11. object — an aim
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. branch — a division
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. object — to protest
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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