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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. capital — money
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. season — in sport
  12. rash — hasty
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. capital — a city
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fine — all right
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rash — a series

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