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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. last — to go on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ground — a position
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — to shout
  13. last — finally
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — final
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rush — to hurry

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