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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · bark · march · capital · cold · lean · bulb · key

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. cold — an illness
  11. key — for a lock
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bank — of a river
  17. march — music
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lean — thin
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bulb — for light

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