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: branch · tube · prune · spring · leaves · present · fine · bear

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. tube — a container
  3. spring — the season
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. present — the time now
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fine — all right
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — a gift
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spring — of water
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. present — there

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