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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. band — a music group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a rubber band

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