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: rock · ball · file · chip · root · cue · bark · racket

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cue — a hint
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a document
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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