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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — a trace
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — rain
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. straw — a straw man

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