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: trunk · date · land · rock · scale · march · bark · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. march — the month
  3. bark — to shout
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. march — the month
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. date — the fruit
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rock — music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. march — music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. dip — to sink
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rock — a stone

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