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

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. root — of a plant
  5. clip — a video
  6. branch — a division
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. date — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fork — in a road
  15. squash — to crush
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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