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: branch · chair · dip · craft · land · lie · row · can

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. branch — a division
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lie — to recline
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. dip — to sink
  12. craft — boats
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. craft — a skill
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — to come down
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. row — a line

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