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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. charge — a price
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. rest — a break
  7. bark — to shout
  8. march — the month
  9. current — electric
  10. rest — what's left
  11. roll — a cake
  12. charge — in control
  13. roll — a list
  14. deal — to handle
  15. current — of water
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rest — what's left
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — electricity
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. march — music

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