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: drill · dip · bark · stick · spell · charge · bat · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — letters
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bark — to shout
  11. spell — magic
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spell — a short time
  14. charge — in control
  15. dip — to sink
  16. drill — army training
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bat — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bat — in an idiom

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