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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — a division
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bound — certain
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — letters
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bound — obliged
  24. degree — temperature

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