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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. last — final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pop — soda
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — to go on
  22. key — for a lock
  23. last — finally
  24. pop — to visit

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