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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. last — final
  3. branch — a division
  4. charge — in control
  5. last — to go on
  6. bark — to shout
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mug — a cup
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mug — to rob
  16. charge — a price
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mug — a face
  20. last — finally
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. game — a match
  24. branch — of a bank

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