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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. track — a path
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stock — goods
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — shares
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. track — a song

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