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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. drill — army training
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — a contest
  11. rest — a break
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. race — humankind
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. drill — a practice
  19. content — happy
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — the tool

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