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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — the amount
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. content — happy
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. date — the fruit
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to click
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. bark — to shout
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — rain
  24. net — in sport

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