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: tear · pit · sharp · jam · tube · band · branch · fork

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. branch — a division
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pit — in a race
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. sharp — clever
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fork — in a road
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. band — a ring
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tear — to rip
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. band — a music group

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