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 120 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — for sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to bend
  7. field — farmland
  8. band — a ring
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lean — thin
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a music group
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. staff — employees
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. staff — a stick
  24. nail — for a hammer

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