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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ground — a position
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. object — an aim
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rule — a law
  8. object — to protest
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. object — a thing
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. swing — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rule — government
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — of a tree

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