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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. root — of a word
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — the cause
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — happy
  24. patient — a sick person

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