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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. field — farmland
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bark — to shout
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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