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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pit — a hole
  3. content — the amount
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. branch — a division
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — an aim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pit — in a race
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. perch — the fish
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. nail — on a finger

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