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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. root — of a plant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bark — to shout
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — certain
  15. land — ground
  16. root — the cause
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. root — of a word
  20. wound — an injury
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — tied together

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