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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — certain
  20. squash — to crush
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pass — a permit
  24. can — to be able to

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