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: coach · mouse · bark · march · pitcher · staff · bore · chest

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. march — music
  7. chest — of your body
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bark — to shout
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. staff — employees
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — a box

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