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: drill · bay · branch · wake · field · rush · lash · bound

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. field — a subject
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. field — for sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bound — tied together
  15. drill — a practice
  16. field — farmland
  17. bound — certain
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. drill — army training
  23. branch — of a bank
  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