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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — a subject
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. capital — money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. capital — a city
  8. mug — a face
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — a permit
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a lid
  13. field — farmland
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lie — to recline
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mug — a cup
  20. field — for sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to succeed

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