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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. season — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. sharp — clever
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. season — of the year
  21. branch — a division
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fan — a supporter

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