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 124 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ground — the earth
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — in music
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lean — thin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — ground
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ground — a position
  24. land — a country

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