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 116 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 · squash · leaves · rock · drill · kid · track · wake

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kid — child
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kid — to tease
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rock — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bark — to shout
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — a stone

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