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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — a division
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — to keep track
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. track — a path
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — the fish
  19. track — a song
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — happy
  23. bound — tied together
  24. content — the amount

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