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: plane · prune · bass · chip · bear · chair · branch · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bass — low music
  8. season — of the year
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chair — a leader
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — a division
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chip — for betting

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