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: root · bark · band · court · kick · wound · deal · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. band — a music group
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. court — for sport
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — to shout
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. band — a ring
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. root — of a word
  24. deal — to handle

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