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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. current — of water
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. snap — to click
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — in a road

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