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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — of the year
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — soda
  5. last — finally
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pop — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. last — to go on
  11. bark — to shout
  12. season — in sport
  13. last — final
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. deal — a big deal

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