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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. scale — size or range
  12. drill — army training
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. squash — to crush
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wind — moving air
  17. drill — a practice
  18. scale — in music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wind — moving air
  22. branch — a division
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. season — to add flavour

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