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: spell · stand · wake · racket · clip · degree · branch · present

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. present — the time now
  11. clip — a video
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — from a university
  20. clip — for paper
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stand — for spectators

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