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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. field — farmland
  9. spell — magic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. field — for sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. field — a subject
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. jam — in traffic

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