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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — steady
  5. object — an aim
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. last — finally
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. last — final
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. firm — decided
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. object — a thing
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — bread
  24. firm — a company

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