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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bark — to shout
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. club — for golf
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. cold — an illness
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. club — a group
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — of the year
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cold — not warm

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