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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rule — a law
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cue — a signal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. season — of the year
  12. rule — government
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. hand — help
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cue — for pool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. row — a line
  24. cue — a hint

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