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're on a ________________ here.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mark — a trace
  12. roll — a list
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pit — a hole
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bark — to shout
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pit — in a race
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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