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: scale · fine · vault · wound · racket · mouse · track · bark

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — size or range
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a song
  7. bark — to shout
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — in music
  14. track — a path
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — all right
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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