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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — a division
  7. bat — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. staff — employees
  10. rule — government
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bound — certain
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. staff — employees
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rule — a law
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. staff — a stick
  23. present — a gift
  24. bound — obliged

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