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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. file — a tool
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pass — a permit
  13. march — the month
  14. field — a subject
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — a division
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. march — music
  24. file — a document

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