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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. branch — a division
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — ground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. land — a country
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — to come down
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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