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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — final
  7. root — the cause
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — army training
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. swing — to play on
  13. last — finally
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. swing — in golf
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bark — to shout

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