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: rush · bat · sharp · bore · branch · jam · bear · wave

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — clever
  9. branch — a division
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. branch — of a tree

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