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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. swing — music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — to play on
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cue — a signal
  12. roll — a list
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bark — to shout
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cue — a hint
  24. swing — in golf

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