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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — a line
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — final
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mug — a cup
  12. row — to paddle
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. last — finally
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ground — crushed
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — to go on
  24. mug — a face

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