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 · last · craft · rest · pop · hand · track · net

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pop — music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — for catching
  7. last — finally
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. last — to go on
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. rest — what's left
  20. track — a path
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. last — final
  23. pop — to visit
  24. craft — boats

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