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: row · kick · key · ground · bark · board · wake · mine

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mine — for digging
  5. board — to get on
  6. bark — to shout
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. board — a committee
  9. row — a line
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ground — crushed
  19. key — in music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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