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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — to shout
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. club — a group
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. club — for golf
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — music
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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