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: drill · bore · bass · stand · spring · prune · branch · track

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bass — the fish
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spring — a coil
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to tire
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — to bear
  12. track — a path
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — a song
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. branch — a division
  22. bass — low music
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. drill — a practice

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