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: dip · march · charge · wake · bound · leaves · ball · branch

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — in control
  6. bound — obliged
  7. charge — a price
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — electricity
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. march — the month
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bound — tied together
  24. branch — of a bank

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