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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. snap — to click
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. club — a group
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — all right
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. club — for golf
  22. fine — high quality
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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