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: saw · cap · branch · wake · roll · hand · dip · bound

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cap — of ice
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bound — obliged
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to sink
  15. saw — the tool
  16. roll — a list
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hand — help
  20. cap — a lid
  21. branch — a division
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cap — a hat

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