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: lean · bulb · row · bark · branch · tear · nail · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — to paddle
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tear — from crying
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. row — a line
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — thin
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bark — of a tree

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