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: degree · arm · can · rash · pit · fork · sharp · branch

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fork — in a road
  12. degree — temperature
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. sharp — clever
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fork — a garden tool

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