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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a line of people
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a document
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — a trace
  22. file — a tool
  23. branch — a division
  24. bulb — of a plant

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