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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. march — music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lean — thin
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. march — the month
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mate — a partner
  19. foot — a measure
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. march — the month

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