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: deal · bark · tear · pit · swing · wax · board · leaves

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — to get on
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tear — to rip
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. board — a committee
  13. swing — in golf
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pit — a hole
  24. board — a flat piece

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