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: rock · swing · hand · bark · arm · racket · craft · kid

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. craft — boats
  4. swing — in golf
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. swing — music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. craft — a skill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. swing — to play on
  21. kid — child
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bark — to shout

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