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: bark · march · bowl · branch · bay · cue · date · saw

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. march — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — a division
  8. march — the month
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. march — the month
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cue — for pool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bark — to shout
  23. date — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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