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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. chest — a box
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. press — to push
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — to shout
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. field — farmland
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chest — of your body
  21. press — a publisher
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cap — a hat

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