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 · club · straw · jam · snap · deal · scale · spell

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bark — to shout
  15. spell — magic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. spell — letters
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. scale — in music
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. deal — to handle
  24. straw — a straw man

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