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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stock — goods
  8. spell — magic
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — a path
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. stock — shares
  19. roll — a list
  20. spell — letters
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tear — from crying
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. roll — on a roll

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