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: drill · cabinet · bore · cell · bowl · branch · mine · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. drill — army training
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. drill — the tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cell — in biology
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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