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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — a group
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lean — thin
  19. club — for golf
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. foot — a measure
  22. shower — rain
  23. mine — for digging
  24. club — for dancing

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