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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. kick — in football
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tube — a container
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. club — a group
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mate — to breed
  16. clip — a video
  17. bark — to shout
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — for paper
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — to handle

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