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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cap — of ice
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. field — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — happy
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. content — the amount
  18. cap — a lid
  19. field — a subject
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. last — finally
  23. row — a line
  24. field — farmland

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