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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a trace
  3. track — to keep track
  4. race — the arms race
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. race — a contest
  7. content — happy
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. race — humankind
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. content — the amount
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — a break
  24. hide — to keep secret

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