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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — a measure
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bark — to shout

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