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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mate — a partner
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. season — in sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. season — of the year
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ground — a position
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bound — certain
  20. mate — a friend
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pass — to spend 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