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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lean — thin
  7. net — after costs
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ground — a position
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — for catching
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fine — all right
  14. suit — clothes
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — high quality
  21. net — in sport
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ground — the earth

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