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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bound — obliged
  3. net — after costs
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. object — a thing
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. object — to protest
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. last — to go on
  15. object — an aim
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bark — to shout
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. shower — rain

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