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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chest — of your body
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bark — to shout

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