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: tear · rest · jam · mark · lean · capital · branch · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. branch — a division
  6. snap — to click
  7. capital — a city
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lean — thin
  11. capital — money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mark — a grade
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rest — a break
  24. mark — a trace

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