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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. scale — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chest — a box
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chest — of your body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chest — of your body

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