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: stick · swing · bear · rest · spell · lie · branch · mate

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. swing — to play on
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. swing — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — a break
  24. branch — of a tree

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