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

Word bank: lean · scale · spell · squash · pit · branch · tube · ground

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. branch — a division
  3. ground — crushed
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ground — the earth
  8. scale — in music
  9. lean — thin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lean — to bend
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. tube — a container
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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