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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lean — to bend
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spring — a coil
  8. present — the time now
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spring — the season
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spring — of water
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. present — there
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lean — thin
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mate — a friend

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