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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. field — a subject
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — farmland
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — for sport
  24. root — of a plant

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