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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — a group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — a signal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. band — a ring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rock — music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spell — a short time
  23. band — a music group
  24. club — for golf

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