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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — of ice

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