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: pitch · ball · charge · bore · mark · shower · bark · leaves

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. charge — a price
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. shower — to wash
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ball — a great time
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bark — to shout
  20. shower — rain
  21. mark — a grade
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bore — to drill

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