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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. root — of a plant
  5. march — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — to tire
  10. branch — a division
  11. present — there
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — the time now
  15. track — a song
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. root — the cause
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a word
  20. track — a path
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. safe — out of danger
  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