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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — a position
  4. present — the time now
  5. board — a committee
  6. present — there
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — a subject
  11. ground — the earth
  12. branch — a division
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. ground — crushed
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. present — a gift
  18. field — farmland
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — to bear
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. field — for sport
  24. trunk — of a car

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