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: land · branch · drill · perch · calf · fall · prune · march

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. drill — the tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fall — the season
  17. prune — to trim
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — the month
  24. branch — a division

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