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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lean — thin
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mark — a trace
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — a division
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — a grade
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chip — for betting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — to eat
  24. season — to add flavour

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