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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wound — an injury
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bark — to shout
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a song
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. shower — rain
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rest — a break

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