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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. row — a line
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. file — a tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. board — to get on
  13. roll — a list
  14. suit — clothes
  15. row — to paddle
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. file — a document
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. board — a committee

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