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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pit — in a race
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pit — a hole
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — a division
  21. present — there
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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