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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wound — an injury
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — to recline
  18. branch — a division
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — to come down
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. land — a country
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. land — ground

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