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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ground — a position
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ground — crushed
  21. scale — in music
  22. toast — bread
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ground — the earth

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