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: board · branch · bear · spell · bark · lie · ground · hide

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ground — crushed
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — to recline
  10. board — to get on
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — the earth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — an untruth

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