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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. court — of a king
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of law
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. deal — to handle
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — soda
  23. wake — a trail
  24. swing — music

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