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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. charge — electricity
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — in control
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — a price
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — certain
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a city
  24. foot — a measure

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