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: vault · foot · toast · bark · court · racket · date · content

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. court — of law
  3. content — happy
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. court — of a king
  18. bark — to shout
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — a safe
  24. foot — a measure

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