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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. present — the time now
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. staff — employees
  6. cap — of ice
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — there
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chest — of your body
  12. staff — employees
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chest — a box
  17. row — a line
  18. kid — child
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rash — a series
  23. staff — a stick
  24. present — a gift

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