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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · fine · current · prune · toast · wound

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. toast — bread
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. branch — a division
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. fine — all right
  10. current — of water
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric

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