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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pop — soda
  3. rest — a break
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cold — not warm
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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