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 quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. branch — a division
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — a match
  13. mate — to breed
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bound — tied together
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bound — certain
  24. sharp — with an edge

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