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: straw · bark · bore · last · branch · drill · mug · prune

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bore — to tire
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — final
  6. mug — to rob
  7. last — to go on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mug — a cup
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. drill — a practice
  14. last — finally
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — to drill
  22. mug — a face
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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