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 116 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: trunk · wind · content · lean · cabinet · pound · bark · stand

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. content — the amount
  10. lean — to bend
  11. content — happy
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lean — thin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — to bear

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