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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. club — for golf
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a document
  14. club — a group
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. file — a tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for dancing

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