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: tear · band · branch · current · clip · patient · saw · hide

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tear — from crying
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. saw — the tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. clip — for paper
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tear — to rip
  23. current — happening now
  24. band — a ring

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