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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. sharp — clever
  6. present — there
  7. bark — to shout
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. last — final
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. last — to go on
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cap — a hat
  23. last — finally
  24. spell — letters

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