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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitch — completely
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — army training
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cold — an illness
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. game — a match
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — a strongbox

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