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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. present — there
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — the time now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. present — a gift
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — for digging
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — in sport
  24. mug — to rob

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