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: land · wave · branch · key · bay · object · content · bark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. land — to come down
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. object — an aim
  10. content — happy
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. object — to protest
  16. content — the amount
  17. branch — a division
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. land — ground
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. key — in music
  23. object — a thing
  24. land — a country

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