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: track · wound · kid · roll · shower · racket · bay · bark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. track — a path
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wound — an injury
  6. shower — rain
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — a list
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bark — to shout
  18. shower — to wash
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kid — child
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. track — a song
  24. roll — a cake

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