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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lean — thin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. craft — boats
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to click
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chair — a leader

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