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: hand · nail · ruler · suit · bark · trunk · court · ball

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — for sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — to fit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — of a king
  24. ball — a great time

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