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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mate — to breed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — a division
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mate — a partner
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rash — a series
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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