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: degree · march · fork · chip · wake · pop · lean · branch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lean — thin
  3. pop — music
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. march — music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — a division
  9. march — the month
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. chip — for betting
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — soda
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — to bend
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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