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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — a hat
  8. season — in sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mark — a grade
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. march — the month
  21. file — a document
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. season — of the year
  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