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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bark — to shout
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rule — government
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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