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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. march — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. march — the month
  17. game — wild animals
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a match
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pound — a weight

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