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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. last — final
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — finally
  5. spring — of water
  6. firm — a company
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. object — to protest
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spring — the season
  11. club — a group
  12. firm — steady
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — for golf
  19. last — to go on
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — decided
  22. object — an aim
  23. spring — a coil
  24. net — after costs

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