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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. present — a gift
  3. mug — a face
  4. present — the time now
  5. march — the month
  6. rush — hurry
  7. present — there
  8. toast — bread
  9. branch — a division
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mark — a trace
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mug — a cup
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. march — music

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