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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. content — the amount
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — help
  11. root — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. press — to push
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bark — of a tree

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