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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — for a lock
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — the most important part
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. key — in music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lash — to lash out

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