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: wound · mug · lash · march · chair · sharp · trunk · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mug — a face
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — an injury
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. chair — a leader
  20. mug — to rob
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. march — music

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