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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.

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Word bank
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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. fine — all right
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bear — the animal

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