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: spell · fine · board · bark · ground · prune · mug · patient

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spell — letters
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fine — all right
  7. spell — magic
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ground — crushed
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fine — high quality
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. ground — a position
  19. board — a committee
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bark — to shout
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. board — to get on

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