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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. sharp — clever
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. object — a thing
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spell — a short time
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. object — to protest
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hand — help
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — a division
  23. spell — letters
  24. branch — of a tree

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