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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wind — moving air
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. sharp — clever
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — there
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — the time now
  15. deal — to handle
  16. branch — a division
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — a gift
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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