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: bark · roll · leaves · temple · mark · file · hide · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — to come down
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. file — a document
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. roll — a list
  13. land — a country
  14. bark — to shout
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mark — a grade
  22. file — a tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. file — a line of people

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