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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. land — to come down
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. land — a country
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — an untruth

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