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 120 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: bound · calf · chair · prune · face · can · lie · branch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chair — a leader
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bound — tied together
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. can — a tin
  24. bound — obliged

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