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: mouse · bark · hide · rock · rule · trunk · capital · track

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rock — music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rule — government
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. track — a path
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. capital — money
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. track — to keep track

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