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: mug · capital · branch · wound · field · press · calf · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — a publisher
  3. capital — money
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. press — newspapers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — to rob
  14. branch — a division
  15. field — farmland
  16. capital — a city
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a face
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. field — a subject
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — for sport

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