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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — to bend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a line
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. court — of law
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bark — to shout
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. court — of a king
  24. nail — for a hammer

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