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: branch · lean · coach · wound · content · craft · spell · land

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — ground
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — a country
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — an injury
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — thin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. content — happy
  18. branch — a division
  19. spell — letters
  20. content — the amount
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a skill

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