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: stick · leaves · rule · bark · swing · last · saw · root

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. last — to go on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — final
  7. last — finally
  8. rule — government
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. root — of a word
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — music

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