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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. season — in sport
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. current — electric
  7. present — a gift
  8. season — of the year
  9. current — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. present — the time now
  16. current — happening now
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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