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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bound — tied together
  9. land — to come down
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — a country
  24. mate — a partner

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