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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. season — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. file — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — to go on
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. last — finally

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