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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. file — a tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — to sink
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bark — to shout
  10. file — a document
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. file — a line of people
  15. land — ground
  16. pound — a weight
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. land — to come down
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. last — to go on
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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