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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. swing — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. suit — clothes
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rule — a law
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. plane — a tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stock — goods
  20. roll — a list
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — on a roll

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