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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pass — a permit
  7. charge — a price
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. plane — a tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. swing — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chest — of your body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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