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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — clothes
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — in music
  9. field — farmland
  10. branch — a division
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. scale — size or range
  13. present — the time now
  14. field — a subject
  15. present — there
  16. squash — to crush
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. field — for sport
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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