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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. present — a gift
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mug — a face
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mug — to rob
  18. present — there
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mug — a cup
  24. hide — to keep secret

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