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 116 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. hand — in cards
  5. court — of a king
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. band — a ring
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. dip — to sink
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hand — help

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