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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stock — goods
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. march — the month
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — music
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. march — the month

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