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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — ground
  3. branch — a division
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. land — to come down
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. last — final
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — a country
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mark — a trace

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