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 120 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bound — obliged
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — certain
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rule — government
  9. root — the cause
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. saw — the tool

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