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: lash · roll · spell · wax · branch · dip · coach · press

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. roll — a list
  4. press — newspapers
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — to sink
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — a short time
  14. press — to push
  15. spell — magic
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. press — a publisher

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