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: fork · band · row · chest · bear · prune · bay · branch

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. band — a music group
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chest — a box
  8. band — a ring
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chest — of your body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — a division
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chest — of your body
  20. row — a line
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. prune — the fruit

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