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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rest — a break
  8. hand — help
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rest — what's left
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — in cards
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — tied together
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — to push
  20. bark — to shout
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rest — what's left

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