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: coach · rule · racket · net · pitcher · wake · cap · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — for catching
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — a law
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — government
  18. net — in sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bark — of a tree

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