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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — high quality
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. perch — for a bird

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