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 120 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: saw · pitch · stock · temple · bore · branch · land · bark

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. stock — shares
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — to tire
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — to shout
  12. land — a country
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. temple — side of the head

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