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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. swing — to play on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — the most important part
  13. object — a thing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. object — an aim
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. swing — music
  24. bark — to shout

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