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 · jam · bank · plane · racket · row · chest · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — a path
  6. chest — a box
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. row — a line
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — a song
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — to keep track
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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