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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spell — letters
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pit — a hole
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spell — magic
  19. current — electric
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. current — happening now
  22. lean — thin
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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