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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — a division
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. charge — a price
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pop — soda
  15. bound — obliged
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pop — to visit
  21. toast — bread
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bound — certain
  24. pop — music

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