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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ground — a position
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ground — the earth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chip — in a computer

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