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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bark — to shout
  8. craft — boats
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. row — a line
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. snap — to click
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. calf — of the leg

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