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 120 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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mark — a grade
  4. band — a music group
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fall — the season
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. band — a ring
  24. wake — a trail

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