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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. mine — for digging
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. content — happy
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. swing — music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — to play on
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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