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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. track — a song
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a dance
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. file — a document
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. file — a tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. track — a path
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stem — of a plant

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