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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a face
  24. wind — to turn a key

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