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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. track — a song
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — all right
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. track — a path
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. press — newspapers

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