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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — all right
  4. file — a document
  5. lean — thin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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