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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. court — of law
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mark — a grade
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bound — tied together
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bound — certain
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mark — a trace
  24. court — for sport

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