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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cell — a phone
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cell — in biology
  23. kick — in football
  24. key — for a lock

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