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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — in cards
  4. branch — a division
  5. fall — to drop
  6. clip — for paper
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — to fit
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. clip — a video
  11. spell — letters
  12. suit — clothes
  13. present — a gift
  14. face — part of the head
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to point toward
  17. staff — a stick
  18. present — the time now
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — the season
  21. spell — magic
  22. present — there
  23. spell — a short time
  24. clip — to cut

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