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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bound — certain
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bark — to shout

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