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: lean · racket · branch · last · cold · lie · leaves · bowl

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lean — to bend
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — finally
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. lean — thin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. last — final
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. last — to go on
  24. bowl — to roll

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