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 120 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: mug · wake · shower · charge · bark · lie · object · dip

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. object — a thing
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mug — a face
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — a trail
  13. object — an aim
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. dip — to sink
  17. shower — to wash
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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