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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stock — goods
  3. chair — a leader
  4. land — to come down
  5. object — to protest
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stock — shares
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. object — a thing
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bark — to shout
  14. object — an aim
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — the tool
  22. land — a country
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. land — ground

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