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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cap — a lid
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cap — a hat
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rock — a stone

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