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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. capital — money
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — a city
  7. present — there
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. present — the time now
  10. branch — a division
  11. roll — a list
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — the season
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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