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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. ground — the earth
  9. track — a path
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ground — a position
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. track — a song
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — certain
  24. bowl — a football final

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