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: dip · bear · mark · perch · shower · cap · bark · bay

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bear — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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