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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. game — a match
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. present — there
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stem — a stem cell

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