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 120 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 · leaves · bear · file · pitch · lash · pit · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. branch — a division
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a document
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. leaves — to go away

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