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: march · bound · lean · mug · branch · rash · pit · jam

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bound — obliged
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — thin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bound — certain
  17. rash — a series
  18. march — music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — a division
  24. jam — in traffic

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