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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tube — a container
  13. ground — a position
  14. cap — a lid
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — the season
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ground — crushed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fall — to drop
  24. prune — to trim

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