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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. hand — in cards
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — help
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — in sport
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. season — of the year
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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