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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — in football
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ground — the earth
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. kick — with a leg

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