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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. clip — a video
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — to breed
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. row — to paddle
  13. spell — a short time
  14. clip — for paper
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. mate — a partner
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fine — all right
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. clip — to cut
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mate — a friend

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