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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — a country
  9. ball — a dance
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ground — a position
  15. rash — a series
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ground — crushed
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. row — a line
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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