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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. band — a ring
  3. bark — to shout
  4. foot — a measure
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. board — to get on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — to paddle
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. board — a committee
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. object — a thing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. band — a music group

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