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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. net — after costs
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a face
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. net — in sport
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — a tin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. press — to push
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. press — newspapers
  21. kid — to tease
  22. net — for catching
  23. kid — child
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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