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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. suit — to fit
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — in cards
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. staff — employees
  9. content — happy
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spring — of water
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spring — the season
  15. content — the amount
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. spring — a coil
  24. content — videos and posts

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