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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — to protest
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. last — to go on
  14. sharp — clever
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. rock — a stone
  18. object — an aim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — music
  21. march — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. object — a thing

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