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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mine — for digging
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spring — the season
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. craft — boats
  22. spring — of water
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mine — an explosive

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