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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. game — a match
  5. cap — of ice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bat — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fall — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — to drop
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — an untruth

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