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 124 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. march — music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. staff — employees
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. march — the month
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

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