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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chest — a box
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. chest — of your body
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. march — music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — a division
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ground — a position
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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