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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hand — in cards
  8. firm — steady
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — a division
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — a company
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hand — help
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — decided
  23. spell — a short time
  24. dip — to dunk

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