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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mug — a face
  9. track — to keep track
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — music
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a path
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — in music
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rock — a stone
  24. track — a song

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