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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spell — letters
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ball — a dance
  5. snap — to click
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. club — for dancing
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — magic
  18. swing — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. club — for golf
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — a short time
  24. club — a group

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