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 124 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a line
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. race — the arms race
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. deal — to handle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. bark — to shout
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. row — to paddle

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