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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bark — to shout
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — the month
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. march — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. net — for catching
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. net — after costs
  20. branch — a division
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. march — the month

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