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: content · game · race · wake · bore · cabinet · bark · perch

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bore — to tire
  20. content — happy
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. race — the arms race
  24. game — a match

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