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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — to push
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. last — final
  16. bark — to shout
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. last — finally
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. last — to go on
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tear — from crying

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