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: toast · lash · bore · cell · band · pitch · bark · track

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. toast — bread
  5. track — a song
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cell — a phone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. band — a ring
  22. track — a path
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lash — an eyelash

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