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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wind — moving air
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. perch — for a bird

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