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: fan · cap · current · stick · branch · leaves · pit · pitcher

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. current — of water
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — electric
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — a lid
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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