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: bay · pop · leaves · prune · chair · straw · field · branch

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — soda
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. field — a subject
  5. chair — a leader
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. field — for sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. field — farmland
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pop — to visit
  23. branch — a division
  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