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: spring · race · mouse · pitcher · season · board · bark · perch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. board — to get on
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. perch — the fish
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — a committee
  16. race — the arms race
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. season — of the year
  22. race — humankind
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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