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: wake · branch · shower · key · bark · march · bore · pitch

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — for a lock
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wake — a trail
  8. march — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. march — the month
  17. shower — rain
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bore — to tire
  20. branch — a division
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — to drill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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