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: nail · ruler · court · hand · cue · bear · face · bark

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cue — for pool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. court — of a king
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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