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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. branch — a division
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — low music
  13. chest — a box
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — there
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — to rob
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mug — a face

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