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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — of water
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — the season
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. bark — to shout
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wake — before a funeral

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