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: cell · wind · current · dip · lie · plane · drill · bark

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cell — a phone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — to shout
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — the tool
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. current — happening now
  21. drill — army training
  22. current — of water
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cell — in biology

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