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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lean — to bend
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — of the year
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — of ice
  19. drill — army training
  20. cap — a lid
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. cap — a hat
  23. drill — the tool
  24. branch — a division

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