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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. club — for dancing
  3. last — finally
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — final
  17. club — a group
  18. last — to go on
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lie — an untruth

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