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: jam · bowl · bark · mate · chair · date · hide · pitcher

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bowl — a football final

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