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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. file — a tool
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — to shout
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. file — a document
  14. fork — in a road
  15. file — a line of people
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. land — a country
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pit — a hole

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