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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. prune — to trim
  3. charge — in control
  4. mug — a cup
  5. charge — electricity
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — a country
  9. rule — government
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. land — ground
  12. mug — a face
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — a price
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rule — a law
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. capital — money
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. branch — of a tree

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