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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bark — to shout
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ground — a position
  14. kick — in football
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — finally
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. last — final

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