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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cell — a phone
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — a country
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. lean — thin
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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