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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. scale — size or range
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pit — in a race
  7. drill — army training
  8. scale — in music
  9. current — electric
  10. prune — to trim
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — happening now
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. drill — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — to tease
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. kid — child
  24. bark — to shout

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