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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. race — humankind
  6. pass — a permit
  7. object — an aim
  8. clip — a video
  9. shower — rain
  10. bark — to shout
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. drill — army training
  16. ground — a position
  17. drill — a practice
  18. shower — to wash
  19. clip — for paper
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. ground — the earth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. clip — to cut

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