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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. charge — a price
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — in cards
  15. charge — in control
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — electricity
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lean — thin

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