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 120 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: chest · scale · bark · tube · firm · wound · bear · current

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — to shout
  4. tube — the underground
  5. current — electric
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chest — a box
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — the animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. scale — in music
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chest — of your body

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