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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — to come down
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kid — to tease
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. club — a group
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kid — child
  13. club — for golf
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cue — for pool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. land — ground
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — a country

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