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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. object — a thing
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pit — in a race
  17. object — to protest
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — a hole
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. object — an aim
  24. trunk — of a car

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