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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — a division
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. suit — clothes
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. squash — the sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kid — child
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kid — to tease
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chip — to eat
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cold — an illness
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cold — not warm
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ruler — for measuring

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