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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. court — of law
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. last — to go on
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a ring
  15. chest — of your body
  16. band — a music group
  17. chest — of your body
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — a supporter

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