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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ground — the earth
  9. firm — steady
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — a company
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lie — to recline
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — an untruth

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