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: straw · prune · bass · bore · coach · pit · branch · arm

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — the fish
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — low music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — a hole

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