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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fall — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. content — the amount
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — a division
  9. present — there
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tear — to rip
  15. present — the time now
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — happy
  18. present — a gift
  19. last — finally
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. last — to go on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tear — from crying

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