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: chair · bark · content · rash · tear · safe · march · fan

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. march — the month
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rash — hasty
  15. content — happy
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — a leader
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. content — the amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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