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 · race · stand · game · lie · hide · rock · last

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. game — a match
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — finally
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — to go on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — final
  24. rock — a stone

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