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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cell — in biology
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bat — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. swing — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. swing — in golf
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. branch — a division

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