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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — letters
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bound — obliged

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