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: spring · clip · charge · deal · bulb · ground · bark · cabinet

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — a price
  11. spring — of water
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. spring — the season
  24. clip — to cut

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