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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rash — hasty
  8. content — happy
  9. staff — a stick
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bark — to shout
  16. staff — employees
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rash — a series
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. content — the amount
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bulb — 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