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: spell · last · mug · kick · pop · bark · pit · board

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pit — in a race
  6. last — to go on
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pop — music
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — a face
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. last — finally
  24. spell — a short time

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