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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. branch — a division
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — obliged
  18. face — part of the head
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — certain
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. hide — animal skin

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