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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kid — child
  6. craft — a skill
  7. game — a match
  8. craft — boats
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — bread
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. roll — a list
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cell — a phone

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