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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. charge — a price
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. mate — to breed
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. branch — a division
  21. charge — in control
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hide — animal skin
  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