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: mate · branch · bat · pitcher · bulb · drill · spell · bark

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spell — letters
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — magic
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. drill — army training
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — of a tree

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