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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. object — to protest
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. object — an aim
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — crushed
  10. object — a thing
  11. ground — a position
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ground — the earth
  24. can — to be able to

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