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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · branch · leaves · hand · game · face

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. face — part of the head
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. branch — a division
  17. face — to confront
  18. game — wild animals

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