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: branch · straw · chest · kick · coach · rash · nail · leaves

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — hasty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. branch — of a tree

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