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: branch · track · bark · pitcher · suit · clip · arm · last

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. clip — to cut
  6. suit — in cards
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — finally
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — to go on
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. suit — to fit

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