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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. bark — to shout
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. field — for sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. field — a subject
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. field — farmland
  20. spring — the season
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fall — to drop

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