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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mark — a trace
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lean — thin
  10. swing — music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. kid — child
  13. pop — soda
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. scale — size or range
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — to shout

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