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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chest — a box
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. firm — steady
  13. net — in sport
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ball — a great time
  16. net — after costs
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. firm — a company
  20. ball — a dance
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — for catching
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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