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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. land — a country
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — a gift
  11. wake — a trail
  12. present — the time now
  13. field — for sport
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. field — a subject
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — a division
  23. present — there
  24. wave — of the sea

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