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: court · present · swing · board · tear · bark · wax · suit

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. suit — clothes
  7. court — of a king
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. swing — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tear — to rip
  17. suit — in cards
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — to play on
  20. court — for sport
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wax — to grow
  23. present — there
  24. tear — from crying

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