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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. branch — a division
  3. face — to point toward
  4. content — happy
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. face — to confront
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. content — the amount
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. game — a match
  24. pitch — completely

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