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 120 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — for pool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cue — a hint
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. object — to protest
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. drill — a practice
  13. object — a thing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. clip — a video
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bark — to shout
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. drill — army training
  22. object — an aim
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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