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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — to shout
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — a committee
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — for sport
  10. cell — in biology
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. row — a line
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lean — thin
  20. cell — a phone
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. court — of a king
  24. safe — out of danger

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