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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mate — a partner
  3. last — to go on
  4. bark — to shout
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. last — finally
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — to eat with

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