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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. track — a song
  3. season — of the year
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — a thing
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stand — to bear
  13. track — a path
  14. object — an aim
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. branch — a division
  22. rule — a law
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pound — to hit hard

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