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: content · toast · cell · bat · bore · lie · club · branch

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bat — the animal
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. toast — bread
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. branch — a division
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. content — happy
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. content — the amount
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. club — a group

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