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: kid · bark · cabinet · row · chair · leaves · mark · fan

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kid — child
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. row — to paddle
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. row — a line
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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