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: bay · bark · rush · coach · file · spell · bass · leaves

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spell — letters
  3. file — a document
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bass — the fish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a tool

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