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: bark · can · coach · kick · mate · deal · file · season

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. file — a tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — of the year
  11. file — a document
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — in sport
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. file — a line of people
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a partner

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