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 · rule · race · bowl · march · snap · branch · craft

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. branch — a division
  3. craft — boats
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. race — a contest
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. march — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. race — humankind
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. race — the arms race
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bowl — a football final

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