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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — to eat
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bark — to shout
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. file — a document
  23. hide — animal skin
  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