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: dip · spell · last · chair · spring · rest · season · branch

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. last — final
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — finally
  8. spring — of water
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — the season
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — a break
  18. chair — a leader
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — in sport
  21. last — to go on
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. season — of the year

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