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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. swing — to play on
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rest — what's left
  5. swing — music
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rest — a break
  11. deal — to handle
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. season — of the year
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — a big deal

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