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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. foot — a measure
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fork — in a road
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — for golf
  11. field — farmland
  12. bark — to shout
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — a committee
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. club — a group
  20. cold — an illness
  21. field — a subject
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. board — to get on

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