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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rash — a series
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. foot — a measure
  21. capital — money
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mug — a cup

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