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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · ruler · trunk · pit · tear · snap

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to click
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bark — to shout

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