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: coach · lie · rule · branch · calf · drill · plane · arm

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — a law
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — a division
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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