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: bulb · prune · march · cell · rule · sharp · branch · object

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — to trim
  4. march — the month
  5. rule — a law
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. cell — in biology
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. prune — to trim
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rule — government
  18. object — a thing
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. branch — a division
  22. march — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — clever

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