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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. present — a gift
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — there
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — the time now
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — final
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. clip — a video
  15. last — finally
  16. bank — for money
  17. clip — to cut
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — to go on
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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