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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — to confront
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. face — part of the head
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bark — to shout

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