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: racket · stick · toast · spell · straw · prune · kid · branch

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — a short time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. toast — bread
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kid — to tease
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — a division

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