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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stand — to bear
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pass — a permit
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. clip — a video
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. scale — size or range
  18. clip — for paper
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. scale — for weighing

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