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: cabinet · branch · coach · mug · lie · shower · wound · rule

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — rain
  12. mug — a face
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — a division

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