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: fall · rock · stick · pitcher · branch · temple · file · march

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a line of people
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. march — music
  11. file — a document
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fall — to drop
  16. file — a tool
  17. branch — a division
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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