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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — crushed
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ball — a dance
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — a partner
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — a division
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a tree

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