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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — a division
  8. club — a group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. bark — to shout
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spring — a coil
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. club — for golf
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spring — of water
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. club — for dancing

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