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 · patient · bark · present · arm · snap · ground · firm

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. present — there
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. firm — a company
  13. present — a gift
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. firm — steady
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. firm — decided
  19. present — the time now
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — part of the body

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