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: branch · staff · bark · snap · bass · tear · craft · track

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bass — low music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. snap — to click
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. staff — a stick
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. craft — boats
  13. tear — from crying
  14. branch — a division
  15. track — to keep track
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. staff — employees
  19. track — a song
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bass — the fish
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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