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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — to bear
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bound — obliged
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fine — all right
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. date — the fruit
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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