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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — an injury
  6. object — a thing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — of a river
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. object — an aim
  15. bank — for money
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — a country
  18. object — to protest
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. land — to come down
  24. branch — a division

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