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: rest · lean · branch · spring · field · rule · wave · bowl

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — a coil
  3. field — farmland
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — the season
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rest — a break
  13. lean — thin
  14. spring — of water
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. lean — to bend
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rule — a law
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — to rule out

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