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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — after costs
  8. bark — to shout
  9. row — a line
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — hurry
  12. net — in sport
  13. object — a thing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. object — to protest
  20. bound — certain
  21. net — for catching
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rush — to hurry

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