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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — a division
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — money
  16. field — farmland
  17. capital — a city
  18. field — a subject
  19. foot — a measure
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. field — for sport
  24. wind — moving air

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