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 120 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: bear · kick · branch · club · season · pit · cabinet · mine

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. season — in sport
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. club — for golf
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. club — a group
  15. bear — the animal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. branch — a division
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — in a race

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