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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. court — for sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — in control
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rock — music
  12. court — of law
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. charge — a price
  24. court — of a king

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