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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. branch — a division
  8. drill — the tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. stem — to come from
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. drill — a practice
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. degree — temperature
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pit — a hole
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. key — in music

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