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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — the most important part
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. current — happening now
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — a division
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wind — moving air
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. current — of water

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