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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — to keep track
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — a path
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. branch — of a bank

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