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: rash · branch · lean · wave · present · rush · foot · wind

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. present — there
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rash — a series
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. branch — a division
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — a measure
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lean — thin

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