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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wind — moving air
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. last — final
  11. suit — to fit
  12. last — to go on
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. press — to push
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. last — finally
  23. branch — a division
  24. swing — to play 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