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: pitcher · prune · drill · fork · branch · deal · snap · wind

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. deal — to handle
  13. drill — a practice
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. branch — a division
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. drill — army training
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wind — moving air
  24. prune — to trim

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