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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fall — the season
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — a division
  6. root — the cause
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. last — final
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — to go on
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — the most important part
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. calf — a young animal

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