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: saw · dip · wound · branch · key · leaves · season · toast

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. season — in sport
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. dip — to sink
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. wound — an injury
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. toast — bread
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. key — the most important part
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. branch — a division

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