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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. content — happy
  3. pass — a permit
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cap — of ice
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bark — to shout
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — to sink
  14. content — the amount
  15. roll — a list
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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