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 120 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: bulb · pound · chip · mouse · fork · game · bark · court

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. game — a match
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chip — for betting
  8. court — of a king
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. chip — to eat
  13. court — of law
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. court — for sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bark — to shout

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