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 · season · content · arm · roll · date · stem · dip

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. branch — a division
  4. roll — a cake
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — to come from
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. date — the fruit
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a list
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. content — the amount
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stem — of a plant

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