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: foot · bark · racket · can · mark · land · cue · spring

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mark — a grade
  3. land — to come down
  4. bark — to shout
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — a measure
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — ground
  19. spring — a coil
  20. land — a country
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spring — the season
  24. cue — a signal

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