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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bass — low music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — to play on
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. staff — a stick
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mug — a face
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — to rob
  21. swing — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mug — a cup

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