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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pit — in a race
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — government
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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