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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bank — of a river
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. drill — army training
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. branch — a division
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. drill — the tool
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. staff — employees

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