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 124 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — certain
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bass — low music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cold — an illness
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bark — to shout
  20. clip — for paper
  21. last — to go on
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. safe — out of danger

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