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: dip · pit · bark · pound · land · rule · tear · fork

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. land — ground
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. land — a country
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rule — government
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rule — a law
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fork — a garden tool

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