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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chair — a leader
  4. drill — army training
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. roll — a list
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mate — to breed
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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