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: bore · fall · sharp · key · deal · branch · leaves · roll

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. roll — a cake
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fall — the season
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. branch — a division
  10. roll — a list
  11. bore — to tire
  12. deal — to handle
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — to drill
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. sharp — exactly

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