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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fall — the season
  3. land — a country
  4. present — there
  5. file — a document
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a plant
  11. land — ground
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — the time now
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — to come down
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. present — a gift
  19. root — the cause
  20. file — a line of people
  21. root — of a word
  22. fall — to drop
  23. file — a tool
  24. wound — an injury

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