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: bark · foot · cap · game · tube · track · mug · hide

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. track — a path
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. game — a match
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a song
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cap — a hat
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. game — wild animals
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bark — to shout
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mug — a face

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