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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · pound · bowl · rash · swing · ruler

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. swing — music
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rash — a series
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty

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