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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rule — a law
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. season — of the year
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pop — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pop — soda
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — in sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rule — government
  24. can — a tin

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