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: branch · last · coach · swing · face · row · cap · dip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. branch — a division
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. row — a line
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. swing — to play on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. last — final
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. swing — music
  21. last — finally
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. last — to go on

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