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: bark · object · mate · tube · rock · toast · sharp · chest

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. object — to protest
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mate — to breed
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mate — a partner
  12. object — an aim
  13. rock — music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mate — a friend
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. toast — bread
  23. object — a thing
  24. bark — to shout

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