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: cell · lean · branch · lash · rash · hide · deal · bat

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lean — thin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cell — a phone

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