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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. season — in sport
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bound — tied together
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. season — of the year
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bound — certain

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