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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hand — in cards
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. land — ground
  9. face — to point toward
  10. degree — an amount
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bank — for money
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — in music
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — for a lock
  18. face — to confront
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — part of the head
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. land — a country
  24. hand — help

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