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 116 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: key · club · wound · cue · craft · hide · bark · swing

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — boats
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for dancing
  8. key — in music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cue — a hint
  13. swing — in golf
  14. key — for a lock
  15. swing — music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. swing — to play on
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. club — a group
  24. key — the most important part

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