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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. ground — a position
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ground — crushed
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. band — a ring
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. toast — bread
  18. face — to confront
  19. ground — the earth
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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