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: pound · tube · bay · bark · saw · spell · fan · mug

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — letters
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — magic
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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