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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fork — in a road
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. capital — a city
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. capital — money
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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