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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bark — to shout
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — goods
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. drill — the tool

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