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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — a container
  8. clip — a video
  9. season — of the year
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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