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: branch · bank · present · cold · lie · last · ground · safe

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ground — a position
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — for money
  6. last — final
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. last — finally
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. cold — an illness
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — the time now
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — not warm
  24. present — there

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