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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pound — a weight
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pit — in a race
  10. root — of a plant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bark — to shout
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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