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: scale · object · racket · nail · kick · rash · fork · branch

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. scale — size or range
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — a division
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. object — a thing

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