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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — to shout
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — after costs
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — finally
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — for catching
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — to play on

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