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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pop — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to click
  19. fork — in a road
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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