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: spell · racket · date · leaves · bark · bowl · band · cap

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cap — a hat
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — of ice
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — magic
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. date — the fruit
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spell — a short time
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. cap — a lid

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