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 116 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: file · present · perch · fall · branch · race · tear · board

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fall — to drop
  4. perch — the fish
  5. board — a committee
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — a division
  8. tear — to rip
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. race — humankind
  11. tear — from crying
  12. race — a contest
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. file — a tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. present — there
  20. board — to get on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — the season
  23. present — the time now
  24. file — a document

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