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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. drill — a practice
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. drill — army training
  11. wax — to grow
  12. vault — a safe
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bark — to shout
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. wax — in the ear

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