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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. object — an aim
  3. last — final
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bark — to shout
  6. last — to go on
  7. mate — a friend
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — a division
  10. present — there
  11. object — a thing
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — in football
  20. present — the time now
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. sharp — exactly

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