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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. swing — to play on
  14. court — for sport
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of a king
  23. net — in sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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