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: key · charge · fine · branch · arm · spring · rash · wind

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — electricity
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fine — all right
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — a division
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. charge — a price
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. fine — high quality
  24. key — for a lock

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