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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cue — a hint
  3. last — final
  4. vault — a safe
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. last — finally
  12. drill — a practice
  13. last — to go on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. content — the amount
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bark — to shout
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. drill — army training

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