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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bark — to shout
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. court — of law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. court — of a king
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — for sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bass — low music

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