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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fall — the season
  3. current — happening now
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. squash — to crush
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — of water
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. land — a country
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. current — electric
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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