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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. content — happy
  3. craft — boats
  4. content — the amount
  5. object — an aim
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. race — humankind
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. object — a thing
  16. bark — to shout
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. race — a contest
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. prune — to trim
  24. craft — a handicraft

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