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: object · spring · fall · safe · straw · lie · game · branch

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lie — to recline
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — a division
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. game — a match
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. object — a thing
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — the season
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — the season

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