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: leaves · rush · race · last · branch · drill · safe · capital

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. last — final
  4. capital — money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a city
  9. last — to go on
  10. race — humankind
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — army training
  15. last — finally
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. race — the arms race
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. race — a contest
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rush — hurry

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