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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — ground
  13. date — the fruit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — the fish
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. track — a path
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. track — to keep track
  24. land — a country

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