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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cap — a lid
  5. spell — letters
  6. branch — a division
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — to come down
  10. cap — of ice
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spell — magic
  13. cap — a hat
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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