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: coach · foot · game · staff · fork · bass · bark · nail

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bark — to shout
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. coach — a trainer

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