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: safe · kick · bound · file · coach · bark · pound · swing

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — to shout
  10. file — a document
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bound — tied together
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bound — certain
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bound — obliged
  24. file — a line of people

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