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 124 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. current — of water
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. current — happening now
  14. bark — to shout
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — child
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — electric

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