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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. race — a contest
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lean — to bend
  11. race — humankind
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — the season

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