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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — a group
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. last — to go on
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. track — a song
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. club — for golf
  24. racket — a loud noise

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