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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ground — a position
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mark — a trace
  15. key — in music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — belonging to me

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