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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. march — the month
  19. lean — thin
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — in a road

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