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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. last — to go on
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. object — a thing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. last — final
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. staff — employees
  22. stem — to come from
  23. last — finally
  24. object — to protest

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