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: sharp · charge · toast · rule · saw · branch · wound · leaves

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rule — government
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — a law
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. branch — a division
  24. wound — an injury

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