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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. charge — in control
  6. chest — a box
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. mate — a partner
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. field — a subject
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chest — of your body
  15. toast — bread
  16. mate — to breed
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to bend
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mate — a friend

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