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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. object — a thing
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. object — an aim
  9. last — to go on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mug — a face
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. last — finally
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. object — to protest
  21. last — final
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — an injury

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