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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — to shout
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wind — moving air
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. object — to protest
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — a group
  22. object — an aim
  23. foot — a measure
  24. club — for golf

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