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: branch · charge · chest · cabinet · present · coach · wake · bound

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. present — there
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bound — certain
  10. chest — a box
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — a gift
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. charge — electricity
  19. branch — a division
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — a price
  24. chest — of your body

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