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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stock — goods
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rash — a series
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. spell — letters
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — a division
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. stock — shares

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