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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a great time
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. last — finally
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — final
  14. mate — a partner
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. face — to confront
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mate — to breed
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. last — to go on

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