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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bound — obliged
  6. kid — child
  7. staff — a stick
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rock — music
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. last — finally
  24. bound — certain

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