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: rush · scale · rash · bark · branch · march · patient · club

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rash — a series
  6. march — music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. march — the month
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. branch — a division
  14. scale — in music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. club — a group
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. scale — size or range
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. march — the month

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