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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — to tease
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — size or range
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. spell — magic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lean — thin
  20. branch — a division
  21. kid — child
  22. spell — a short time
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lean — to bend

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