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: stick · current · bark · scale · kick · toast · tear · spring

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. spring — a coil
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — in music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. spring — the season
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. current — happening now
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. bark — to shout
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — of water

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