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: bay · bat · pit · face · bound · march · snap · branch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pit — a hole
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. march — the month
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — a division
  15. snap — to click
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — music
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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