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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cap — a lid
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cap — a hat
  17. kid — child
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cap — of ice
  23. prune — to trim
  24. leaves — lets stay

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