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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — a path
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. capital — a city
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — a trail
  11. capital — money
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — a hint
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — to crush

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