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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. spell — magic
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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