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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. land — ground
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. season — in sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. club — for golf
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — of the year
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. club — a group
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — a country

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