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: land · sharp · mark · branch · fall · wake · foot · bark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — a country
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fall — the season
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — a division
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. land — to come down
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — clever
  19. land — ground
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — exactly

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