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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — finally
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. last — final
  9. root — of a word
  10. bark — to shout
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — letters
  16. last — to go on
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cold — not warm
  21. tube — a container
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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