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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. race — a contest
  7. bat — the animal
  8. club — a group
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — to push
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. club — for golf
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bark — to shout
  24. race — humankind

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