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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. key — the most important part
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. track — a path
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. key — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. foot — a measure
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wax — to grow
  21. track — a song
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bark — to shout
  24. track — to keep track

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