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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rock — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rock — a stone
  17. toast — bread
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rest — a break
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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