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: leaves · coach · land · wave · pound · rock · row · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — ground
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. row — a line
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. land — to come down
  16. row — to paddle
  17. land — a country
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rock — music

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