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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. present — a gift
  3. pit — a hole
  4. object — to protest
  5. present — there
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ground — the earth
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — the time now
  14. object — a thing
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pit — in a race
  17. object — an aim
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ground — a position
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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