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: staff · bound · tube · mug · bear · bark · hide · plane

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — to shout
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mug — a face
  7. staff — employees
  8. mug — to rob
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bear — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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