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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rock — music
  14. rash — a series
  15. bound — certain
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — the season
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. ground — the earth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fall — to drop

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