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: bark · craft · tear · lie · kid · branch · bore · press

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kid — child
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  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