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: bear · key · pop · chair · bark · leaves · mug · bass

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pop — to visit
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mug — a face
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pop — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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