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 120 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: tear · bark · fork · wake · mouse · cap · board · season

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — in sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — to get on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bark — to shout
  21. tear — from crying
  22. board — a committee
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cap — a lid

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