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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. branch — a division
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hand — in cards
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. shower — rain
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — help
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. key — for a lock

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