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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stem — to come from
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. cap — a lid
  17. face — to confront
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. branch — a division
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cap — a hat

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