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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bound — certain
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — a match
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. drill — army training
  19. roll — a list
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rest — what's left
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — a practice

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