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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. branch — a division
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — a position
  12. content — the amount
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chip — for betting
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. bound — certain
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — crushed

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