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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chest — a box
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mug — a face
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spring — the season
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bark — of a tree

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