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 · shower · tube · present · content · jam · object · bay

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. present — a gift
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. shower — to wash
  5. content — happy
  6. present — the time now
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. object — a thing
  10. tube — a container
  11. content — the amount
  12. present — there
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. object — an aim
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tube — the underground
  24. shower — rain

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