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: wound · rash · plane · swing · coach · land · branch · lie

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — to play on
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — hasty
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — a series
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. swing — music
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lie — to recline

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