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: bear · capital · branch · mouse · band · prune · mark · fall

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. branch — a division
  14. fall — to drop
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a city
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a ring

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