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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. track — a path
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — a short time
  6. present — the time now
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — there
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — letters
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fork — in a road
  18. present — a gift
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pit — in a race
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fork — a garden tool

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