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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. game — a match
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — the cause
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. root — of a word
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. root — of a plant

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