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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bound — tied together
  4. net — for catching
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tear — from crying
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. face — to confront
  22. snap — to click
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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