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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. net — after costs
  16. key — in music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. net — for catching
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  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