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 · bark · chest · bass · rule · stick · wake · fine

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rule — government
  6. bass — low music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chest — a box
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fine — all right
  23. row — a line
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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