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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. spell — magic
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mate — to breed
  6. season — of the year
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spell — a short time
  18. season — in sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. spell — letters

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