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: bore · board · rash · branch · drill · stem · perch · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. drill — army training
  6. rash — a series
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. board — a committee
  13. branch — a division
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — hasty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bore — to tire

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