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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. object — to protest
  3. dip — to sink
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wake — a trail
  9. land — ground
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — a country
  12. scale — in music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. press — to push
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. object — a thing
  22. bark — to shout
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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