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: content · face · mark · spring · wind · racket · branch · rule

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. face — to confront
  5. content — happy
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mark — a trace
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. face — to point toward
  23. content — the amount
  24. mark — a grade

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