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: pound · bear · rush · bark · content · key · object · cabinet

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — the most important part
  6. content — happy
  7. key — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. content — the amount
  23. object — an aim
  24. pound — for dogs

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