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: arm · present · bark · pop · mark · snap · pitcher · press

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pop — soda
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. snap — to click
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. present — a gift
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — to push
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. press — newspapers
  16. present — there
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pop — music
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bark — to shout

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