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 120 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. branch — a division
  23. racket — for tennis
  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