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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. race — humankind
  8. spell — magic
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. race — a contest
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — a thing
  15. key — the most important part
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — letters
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — to shout
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. race — the arms race

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