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: content · nail · racket · bark · craft · wax · court · kid

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a skill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. content — the amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kid — child
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  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