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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. last — to go on
  8. lean — thin
  9. last — final
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a music group
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. band — a ring
  16. last — finally
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lean — to bend

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