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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pop — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — a break
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ground — crushed
  21. present — there
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wax — for sculpting

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