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: bulb · spell · bark · mark · saw · row · board · tear

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spell — magic
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a trace
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a line
  12. board — to get on
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — to paddle
  15. saw — the tool
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bark — to shout
  20. spell — a short time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spell — letters
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — a committee

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