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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — army training
  3. branch — a division
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. capital — a city
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — the tool
  13. march — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — money
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. prune — the fruit

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