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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. row — a line
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bass — low music
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bark — to shout
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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