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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — a division
  3. mine — for digging
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. season — of the year
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mine — an explosive
  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