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 120 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 · scale · leaves · lie · drill · bore · board · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. board — a committee
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — size or range
  5. drill — a practice
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — the season
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — in music
  18. drill — army training
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — to drill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. branch — of a bank

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