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: mouse · season · bound · toast · wind · branch · fan · date

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bound — certain
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bound — tied together
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. toast — bread
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — obliged
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. season — in sport
  23. branch — a division
  24. wind — moving air

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