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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. club — for golf
  4. field — a subject
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. field — farmland
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. club — a group
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fine — all right
  20. field — for sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mate — to breed
  24. row — a line

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