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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. field — farmland
  9. scale — size or range
  10. press — to push
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — for pool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. field — for sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cue — a hint
  20. track — a path
  21. cue — a signal
  22. field — a subject
  23. bark — to shout
  24. press — newspapers

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