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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cold — not warm
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bass — low music
  24. cold — an illness

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