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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. tear — from crying
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bark — to shout
  5. club — a group
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pop — to visit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pop — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mate — a friend
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. roll — a list
  18. pop — soda
  19. mate — a partner
  20. club — for golf
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. tear — to rip
  24. degree — temperature

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