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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — to push
  5. track — to keep track
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. track — a path
  10. press — newspapers
  11. perch — the fish
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. spell — letters
  16. craft — boats
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. press — a publisher
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a song
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — all right
  24. spell — a short time

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